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2014-2015 Annual Report, June 26, 2015
Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 1
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT
Lehigh University Student Chapter
of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Report Date: June 26, 2015
This report summarizes the membership and activities conducted by the Lehigh University Student Chapter of
the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute during the 2014-2015 academic year.
MISSION & GOALS
The contribution of Lehigh University in the field of structural engineering initiated more than 100 years ago. The
pictures in Figure 1 demonstrate a brief overview of Fritz Laboratory (more info: L1, L2, L3, L4). The Advanced
Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) Engineering Research Center at Lehigh University was
completed in 1986 (Figure 2). Since then, the contribution of Lehigh University in earthquake engineering is
significant (more info: L5, L6, L7). Thus, Lehigh University was an excellent place for the initiation of an EERI
student chapter that could contribute to the dissemination of knowledge, of the theory and practice of all
phases of earthquake engineering and other related fields as well as the furtherance of the professional
development of a student.
Figure 1: Selected pictures from Fritz Laboratory at Lehigh University
Photo from 1909 John Fritz stands next to the newly installed Riehle universal testing
machine in Fritz Laboratory.
Fritz Lab 1925. When completed in 1910, the Fritz Engineering Laboratory at Lehigh University was the largest and best-equipped university structural laboratory in the United States, serving as a prototype for subsequent university and research laboratories.
In 1991, the American Society of Civil Engineers designated the original building as a Civil Engineering Landmark.
Fritz Laboratory faculty and staff, ca. 1986.
Fritz Laboratory today, 5,000,000 lbs Universal Testing Machine
2014-2015 Annual Report, June 26, 2015
Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 2
Figure 2: Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) Engineering Research Center
Lehigh University EERI student chapter (denoted as EERI@LU) was established in fall 2013. The Graduate Student
Senate (GSS) at Lehigh University recognized the EERI@LU in spring 2014. Since then, EERI@LU initiated its
activities with main goal to inform undergraduate and graduate students about the importance of earthquake
engineering in our society and educate them on related topics.
MEMBERSHIP
The Lehigh University Student Chapter had a total of 8 members in 2014-2015.
OFFICERS
The Board consisted of the following members:
Role Name EERI Member
Number Email Student Status
President Georgios Tsampras 16076 [email protected] Graduate student
Vice-President Ebrahim Tahmasebi 16487 [email protected] Graduate student
Public Relations Chair
Aman Karamlou 16520 [email protected] Graduate student
Secretary Chinmoy Kolay 16513 [email protected] Graduate student
Treasurer Tugce Akbas 16519 [email protected] Graduate student
ATLSS faculty and staff, ca. 1986.
Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES)Lehigh equipment site Control Room in ATLSS, 2013 NEESR-SG: Self-Centering Damage-Free Seismic-Resistant Steel Frame Systems
Entrance of ATLSS, 2013
2014-2015 Annual Report, June 26, 2015
Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 3
FACULTY & INDUSTRYADVISORS
Advisor: Prof. James M. Ricles, [email protected]
Contact Member: Dr. Troy Morgan, [email protected]
MEMBERS
A complete list of members is shown below.
Name EERI Member Number Email Student Status
Aman Karamlou 16520 [email protected] Graduate student
Andre Tahmassian 16515 [email protected] Graduate student
Chinmoy Kolay 16513 [email protected] Graduate student
Ebrahim Tahmasebi 16487 [email protected] Graduate student
Georgios Tsampras 16076 [email protected] Graduate student
Thomas Matarazzo 17013 [email protected] Graduate student
Tugce Akbas 16519 [email protected] Graduate student
Xin Chu 16531 [email protected] Graduate student
BUDGET & FINANCIALS
Sponsor Name/Organization Contact Person Amount
Graduate Student Senate [email protected] 200.00 USD
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
REGULAR CHAPTER MEETINGS
Regular meetings held on the dates listed below to discuss about activities, organizational issues, and promote
the student chapter within Lehigh University.
Meeting #1: November 7, 2013
Meeting #2: February 28, 2014
Meeting #3: January 23, 2014
Meeting #4: March 11, 2014
Meeting #6: April 7, 2014
Meeting #7: June 29, 2014
Meeting #8: September 24, 2014
Meeting #9: November 12, 2014
Meeting #10: January 22, 2015
Meeting #11: February 6, 2015
Meeting #12: March 19, 2015
2014-2015 Annual Report, June 26, 2015
Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 4
From Research to Practice seminar series: Ebrahim Tahmasebi
EERI@LU initiated a seminar series with title “From Research to Practice” related to the research and practice of
earthquake and structural engineering.
On February 7, 2014 Ebrahim Tahmasebi was the first guest speaker.
Ebrahim Tahmasebi is currently a doctoral student at Civil and Environmental Engineering department of Lehigh
University. He earned his Bachelor's degree at Shiraz University (Shiraz, Iran, 2007) and his Master’s degree at
Sharif University of Technology (Tehran, Iran, 2009). His PhD research focuses on Probabilistic Collapse
Assessment of Self-Centering Concentrically Braced Frames under Extreme Earthquake-Induced Ground
Motions.
Title of presentation: Collapse Assessment of Self-Centering Concentrically Braced Frames
Self-centering concentrically braced frames (SC-CBFs) are proposed as efficient lateral force resisting systems
to resist seismic loads without structural damage or residual deformation due to their self-centering capabilities.
In order to establish equivalent safety against collapse in an earthquake, comparable to the inherent safety
against collapse intended by current seismic codes for buildings, margin against collapse of SC-CBFs and
conventional lateral force resisting systems is to be investigated. Incremental dynamic analysis is used as a tool
to assess median collapse capacity and determine the collapses margin ratio according to the recommended
methodology by FEMA P695. In contrast to current building standards which require life safety for design basis
earthquake (DBE) and collapse prevention for maximum considered earthquake (MCE), SC-CBFs are designed
to provide immediate occupancy after the DBE and life safety for the MCE. Higher performance levels along
with the self-centering characteristic of SC-CBFs make them more resilient to main seismic events as well as
aftershocks during their lifetime. Different damage states in both systems as well as probability of collapse for a
given earthquake intensity are briefly described.
Figure 3: Ebrahim Tahmasebi, “From Research to Practice” seminar series
From Research to Practice seminar series: Brent Chancellor, Ph.D., P.E.
On February 14, 2014 Brent Chancellor was the second guest speaker.
Brent is a senior design engineer at Leslie E. Robertson Associates. Grew up in Moore, OK, USA. He got his PhD in
structural engineering from Lehigh University in 2014, his MS in civil engineering from the University of Oklahoma,
2007, and his BS in civil engineering from the University of Oklahoma, 2005. He worked at Star Building Systems
(metal building fabricator) from 2005-2008 doing design and pricing of metal building structures. He mostly
worked on buildings in the US and Canada, but also on buildings in other parts of the world. He became
licensed as a professional engineer in California in 2008. He was a visiting Assistant Professor at Bucknell
University for one year.
2014-2015 Annual Report, June 26, 2015
Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 5
Title of presentation: Implications of ground motion selection on the seismic response of structures.
In performance-based engineering and in earthquake engineering research, structural engineers often study
the response of a structure using nonlinear time-history analysis. Nonlinear time-history analysis subjects a
nonlinear numerical model of the structure in question to some input excitation. Normally the input excitation is
a scaled ground motion acceleration record from a previous earthquake or an artificially generated ground
motion acceleration record. There are many ground motion records available from previous earthquakes, so
when selecting ground motions several questions arise, such as: Which ground motions should I be using to
evaluate the response of my structure? and, How does my choice of ground motion effect the seismic
response of my structure? Both of these questions are addressed in this presentation.
Figure 4: Brent Chancellor, “From Research to Practice” seminar series
From Research to Practice seminar series: Troy Morgan, Ph.D., P.E.
On February 28, 2014 Troy Morgan was the third guest speaker.
Troy Morgan is a Senior Engineer with Exponent in New York and Adjunct Faculty at NYU. Dr. Morgan has
performed extensive research on the numerical simulation and experimental behavior of innovative seismic
systems and optimization of their use within performance-based engineering frameworks. He consulting
experience includes essential structures such as healthcare facilities, laboratories, industrial buildings, and
critical infrastructure having enhanced seismic performance criteria. Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Morgan was
Assistant Professor at the Center for Urban Earthquake Engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in
Japan. He received B.S., M.Eng, and Ph.D. degrees all from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a
registered Professional Engineer in CA, NY, NJ, and CT.
Title of presentation: Technical Consulting: The Intersection of Mythbusters, CSI, and Earthquake Engineering
The modern era of civilization is marked my immense networks of complicated, interdependent systems and
rapidly evolving technologies. Many of these technologies, while born from academia, are implemented and
refined in the world of industry. As today’s complex ideas are put into practice, there is an increasing tendency
for things to fail, and an urgent desire to prevent such failures. This is the realm of technical consulting, and the
subject of this talk. Several projects from earthquake engineering, including nuclear reliability analysis,
earthquake reconnaissance, and post-event damage investigation are presented to highlight the broader role
of technical consultants in a world which increasingly depends on sophisticated engineering to protect itself
from natural catastrophe.
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Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 6
Figure 5: Troy Morgan, “From Research to Practice” seminar series
From Research to Practice seminar series: Thomas Matarazzo, Ph.D.
On March 28, 2014 Thomas Matarazzo was the fourth guest speaker.
Thomas Matarazzo is a research fellow at Kyoto University. He received his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering at
Lehigh University. He was working with Dr. Pakzad on topics including system identification, mobile sensing,
wireless sensor networks, missing data, and vehicle-bridge interaction. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering
from Manhattan College in 2010 and his M.S. in Structural Engineering from Lehigh University in 2012. He is the
current president of Fritz Engineering Research Society (F.E.R.S.) a member of ASCE, SEI, and EERI. In his spare
time, he often writes, records, and plays music and watches the New York Mets lose.
Title of presentation: Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) during Earthquake Events: System Identification with
Missing Data
There are many occasions throughout structural health monitoring (SHM) in which collected data sets may
contain missing observations; one instance may result through failed communications or packet losses within a
sensor network. Data collected during an earthquake event is especially valuable since it can provide crucial
information regarding changes in the structure’s health. In the case of an emergency, only a short time frame is
available to provide a structural assessment and it may be necessary to process the data “as-is” with missing
data. By implementing modified E- and M-steps, Structural Identification using Expectation Maximization
(STRIDE) is capable of processing data in these circumstances and is the first modal identification technique to
formally accept data with missing observations. This presentation briefly reviews STRIDE, missing data, and
presents modifications required to properly account for missing observations. An application to exemplify
common use in Earthquake Emergency Response using data collected at Golden Gate Bridge is presented.
Figure 6: Thomas Matarazzo, “From Research to Practice” seminar series
From Research to Practice seminar series: Jesse Richins, PE, G.E.
On April 25, 2014 Jesse Richins was the fifth guest speaker.
Jesse Richins is an established and experienced engineer practicing in earthquake and foundation engineering
at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers. His scope of services includes geophysical testing, liquefaction
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Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 7
hazard assessment and mitigation, soil-structure interaction numerical modeling, groundwater modeling, and
foundation design. He has applied innovative foundation solutions and has a thorough understanding of
seismic behavior on notable projects including high rises, dams, nuclear facilities, and bridges across the US,
Canada, Central America, New Zealand, and the Middle East. Notable projects worked on include the Hillview
Reservoir, Crane Valley Dam, South Texas Nuclear Plant, and seismic evaluations of the Queensboro Bridge, RFK
Triboro Bridge Complex, and NIH Headquarters. He is a licensed a P.E. in California and New York and a
licensed G.E. in California, with civil engineering degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
In 2011, Jesse helped found the EERI New York-Northeast regional chapter, where he currently serves as
Treasurer/Secretary. Jesse is currently helping edit the GEER (Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance)
Report for the 2014 Cephalonia Earthquakes.
Title of presentation: Earthquake Design and Construction in the Northeast
Jesse discussed the Virginia quake from August 2011, as well as the recent mega-earthquakes of Japan and
Chile, and how these events influence the planet, seismic design thinking, and the Northeast Construction
industry. The presentation went over earthquake concepts relevant for designers. Jesse focused on NYC, with
respect to frequency of earthquakes, local geology, design requirements, and implications to contractors,
developers and architects who must apply the seismic requirements of the NYC Building Code.
Through examples from actual local projects, he illustrated that seismic design parameters in codes are generic
and as a result, conservative. Instead, site-specific studies can optimize the design by not only providing site-
appropriate reduced loads, but also by adjusting the Seismic Design Category classification, which affects
construction costs. In most cases, the cost of performing such studies is minimal compared to the potential
associated construction cost savings.
Figure 7: Jesse Richins, “From Research to Practice” seminar series
From Research to Practice seminar series: Thomas Hai Lin
On February 18, 2015 Thomas Hai Lin was the sixth guest speaker.
Thomas Hai Lin is a PhD candidate of Geotechnical Engineering at Lehigh University. His PhD research focuses
on developing a practical biological soil treatment method that improves soil mechanical properties and
enhances soil-permeable pile interactions for civil foundations under static and dynamic loading. Thomas has
been an active member of the Geo-Institute (G-I) Student Leadership Council. He is the President of the G-I
Graduate Students organization at Lehigh University. He also serves as a member of Public Relationships
committee, and chair of Geo-Legend committee in the Student Leadership Council. He has coauthored three
Geo-Legend interview articles about three renowned geotechnical practitioners: Dr. Edward Kavazanjian, Dr. J.
Carlos Santamarina, and Mr. George Tamaro.
Title of presentation: Enhancement of Soil-Permeable Pile Interaction Using Microbial Induced Carbonate
Precipitation
2014-2015 Annual Report, June 26, 2015
Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 8
Bio-geotechnical engineering, a new branch of geotechnical engineering, provides environmentally friendly
treatment processes. In this research area, Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) using urea hydrolysis
bacteria Sporosarcina pasteurii (ATCC 11859) is the most widely researched. Laboratory studies have
demonstrated that MICP can improve the soil shear strength and stiffness. Applications of MICP at large lab-
scale tests have encountered practical difficulties including bio-clogging that results in a limited zone of
improved soil around injection points and heterogeneous distribution of CaCO3. The goal of the research
presented is to evaluate the feasibility of limited zone soil improvement surrounding permeable piles using
MICP.
Four instrumented pile tests subjected to axial loading, with and without MICP treatment, were performed at
the soil-structure interaction (SSI) facility of Lehigh University. The material properties, tests setup and
instrumentation, experiment procedure and analysis methods will be discussed in this presentation. Furthermore,
the mechanical responses of the pile and surrounding soil, S-wave velocities, and CaCO3 contents were
analyzed. The results show that the limited soil zone improvement around the permeable piles using MICP has
been successfully achieved, thus, enhancing the pile capacity under axial loading
Figure 8: Thomas Hai Lin, “From Research to Practice” seminar series
From Research to Practice seminar series: Richard Garlock, P.E.
On February 25, 2015 Richard Garlock was the seventh guest speaker.
Rich Garlock has over 20 years of experience designing efficient structural solutions to facilitate architectural
visions. Rich is an Associate Partner with Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA). He started with the firm in 1993.
His expertise ranges from institutional and cultural buildings to high rise towers.
Rich was the project director for the recently opened award-winning World Trade Center Tower 4, which was
the first building opened on the original WTC site.
Rich’s additional high-rise experience includes the BDNI Center, in Indonesia, and a number of supertall mixed-
use projects internationally. Rich was on the design team for the United Nations Consolidation Building, the
Princeton University, Friend Center for Engineering, and the McCarran International Airport Expansion, in Las
Vegas, NV. His work experience includes numerous high profile projects such as the William J. Clinton
Presidential Center, in Little Rock, AR, Prada SOHO renovation, and the Baltimore Convention Center
Expansion, Baltimore, MD.
Rich was on the WTC Recovery team following 9/11. He is a Structures Specialist for the State of New Jersey
Office of Emergency Management, Urban Search & Rescue Team.
Rich has been a Visiting Lecturer for Princeton University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
since 2005. Recently, Rich was a guest speaker at the Value of Design Symposium held at Delft University in the
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Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 9
Netherlands. Rich holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University and a Bachelor of
Science in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University.
Title of presentation: Structural Design for Modern Buildings
The talk aimed to answer the question of how do structural engineers of today meet the challenges of
designing tall and/or complex buildings.
Figure 9: Richard Garlock, “From Research to Practice” seminar series
From Research to Practice seminar series: Maria E. Moreyra Garlock, Ph.D.
On March 27, 2015 Maria Garlock was the eighth guest speaker.
Dr. Maria Garlock’s scholarship is in resilient building design for large earthquakes and fires, as isolated and as
combined multi-hazard events. She is an advocate in both fields by serving as President of the Consortium of
Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE) and previously Chair of the Fire Protection
Committee of ASCE. In addition to multi-hazard resistant building design, Dr. Garlock studies the best examples
of structural designs of the present and past, which encompass the ideals of efficiency, economy, and
elegance. She has co-authored a book on the subject (Felix Candela: Engineer, Builder, Structural Artist). Dr.
Garlock received her Bachelors of Science degree from Lehigh University and a Masters of Science (MS)
degree in Civil Engineering from Cornell University. Upon completion of her MS degree, she worked for Leslie E.
Robertson Associates (of New York City) as a structural engineer where she had the opportunity to design many
interesting buildings including some skyscrapers. Four years later, Dr. Garlock attended Lehigh University again,
this time in pursuit of her Ph.D. degree, which she received in 2003. Currently, Dr. Garlock is an Associate
Professor at Princeton University in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She is the Director of
the Architecture and Engineering Program at Princeton University and the recipient of the 2012 President’s
Award for Distinguished Teaching, which is the highest teaching award at Princeton.
Title of presentation: Félix Candela: Engineer and Artist of Thin Shell Concrete Structures
Figure 10: Maria E. Moreyra Garlock, “From Research to Practice” seminar series
2014-2015 Annual Report, June 26, 2015
Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 10
Field Trip: The Hudson Yards
On April 28th, 2015 EERI@LU with the contribution of Troy Morgan and Jesse Richins organized a field trip that
included a short presentation and an office tour at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, and a visit to the
Hudson Yards construction site.
Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States and the largest
development in New York City since Rockefeller Center. It is anticipated that more than 24 million people will
visit Hudson Yards every year. The site will ultimately include more than 17 million square feet of commercial
and residential space, 5 state-of-the-art office towers, more than 100 shops, 20 restaurants, approximately 5,000
residences, a unique cultural space, 14 acres of public open space, a 750-seat public school and a 150-room
luxury hotel—all offering unparalleled amenities and easy access to transportation for residents, employees and
guests.
Figure 11: Field trip, The Hudson Yards
2014-2015 Annual Report, June 26, 2015
Lehigh University Student Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute page 11
Fundraising Events
After the devastating earthquake in Nepal on April 2015, EERI@LU and the Nepalese students association along
with the support of Graduate Student Senate, Global Union, and Unicef Lehigh club organized various
fundraising events to support the earthquake victims.
Figure 12: Fundraising events to support the victims of earthquake in Nepal
ELECTION
An election for officers for the 2015-2016 academic year will be held in September 2015 to ensure that the new
students will have the opportunity to become officers of the newly established Lehigh University student
chapter.
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
Included at the end of this report are various attachments to supplement the information included above. A
list of the attachments is included below:
Flyers from events HERE